The European Commission confirmed on Monday that it is taking legal action against AstraZeneca over shortfalls in the deliveries of its Coronavirus vaccine as it has failed to respect the terms of its contract with the EU, according to CNBC.
The EU is taking action against the Anglo-Swedish firm for not delivering as many vaccines as the bloc was expecting for the first six months of 2021.
“Our priority is to ensure Covid-19 vaccine deliveries take place to protect the health of the European Union. This is why the European Commission has decided jointly with all Member States to bring legal proceedings against AstraZeneca,” Said the EU’s Commissioner for Health, Stella Kyriakides on Twitter.
AstraZeneca’s contract with the European Union foresaw an initial 300 million doses for distribution among the 27 member countries, with the option for a further 100 million, but only 30 million doses were delivered in the first quarter of 2021 and the company says it can only provide 70 million in the second quarter, rather than the 180 million it had promised, according to ABC News.